No Eid prayer in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State: The concerned authorities of Maungdaw – Township and District administration officer- called Rohingya community leaders toady again at district office and allowing the Rohingya to pray Eid prayer and congregational prayer in Mosques for three days, according to an elder from Maungdaw.

“We refused to pray Eid prayer in Maungdaw yesterday when the authority told us we can pray Eid prayer, but in Maungdaw Juma Mosques and Myoma Khayoungdan religious center (Mawrkus).”

“The authority told us today again that we can pray inside Mosques same as before for only three days with some conditions:-  No using the loudspeakers; no deliver the sermon inside Mosques; No pray in Maungdaw
Juma Mosque and Myoma Khayoungdan religious center (Mawrkus).”

The authority is trying to show international community that the government has no restriction on religious and it is free for any religious groups. The authority first tried only to permit us for Eid-ul-fitr pray, but when we refused and asked for daily prayers. Now the authority again issuing permission for daily pray  with conditions only for three days and can only pray inside Mosques for Zuhur ( Noon) and Assar (afternoon), no permit  for sunset (Magarip; Aashar (night) and Fazar (early morning), said a village admin from Maungdaw.

“We don’t want this permission for pray and we had pass long time without going to Mosques, but, pray inside the home. Now, we also pray inside the home. No need to go for three days in Mosques for only two times a day.”

President Thein Sein, the head of the Burmese government gave green signal to a delegation led by Turkish Foreign Minister Mr Ahmet Davutoglu in Naypyitaw on 9 August 2012, to visit the country in an effort to diffuse mounting outcry over the treatment of the Rohingya in Arakan State by the Saudi-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the world’s largest Muslim grouping. But, after few days, the President change his mind and said no need to investigate an international mission inside Burma as the conflict is not for ethnic race or religious, it is only a conflict of two groups which may solve by an Investigation Committee of Burma, said a politician from Maungdaw.

“Burmese President has formed of an Investigation Commission for an independent inquiry into recent riot in the Arakan state with Notification No. 58/2012 of the Union Government of Myanmar dated 17th August 2012 for the country was one of various human rights challenges at present by the United Nations human rights envoy to Burma.”

“The Investigation Committee has been chaired by Dr. Myo Myint, a retired Director General from Ministry of Religious Affairs. Dr. Kyaw Yin Hlaing of Myanmar Egress has become secretary of the committee including 27-member which includes religious leaders, artists and former dissidents, will “expose the real cause of the incident” and suggest ways ahead, state mouthpiece New Light of Myanmar said.”

“The Investigation Committee has the actors who were mastermind of recent riot in Arakan State- Dr. Aye Maung (Chairman of Rakhine Nationalities Development Party), U Aye Thar Aung (Rakhine National League for Democracy) – that mean the committee will not report real fact of riot.”

“As an independent commission was formed inside the country… it is a right decision which showed that we can create our own fate of the country,” Aye Maung, the chairman of Rakhine Nationalities Development Party (RNDP) said according to a report of AFP.
Source KPN